Portable darkroom for developing



Oct. l1, 1949. B. c. PowERsV ET AL PORTABLE DARHROOM FOR DEVELOPING f s 1 inw Q www T/ 5 e H m m am m 1% i, e fw HMM 2 5M f v1 B m w, m Ap .,m m

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. Il, 1949. s. c. PowERs ET AL l PORTABLE DARKROOM FORKQDEVELOPING Filed April 15, 194s Patented ct. 11, 1949 n 2,484,048 PORTABLE DARKROOM FOR DEVELOPING Barron C. Powers, Montgomery, Ala., and William H. Richards, Dayton, Ohio Application April 15, 1946, Serial No. 662,161 2 Claims. (Cl. 95`90) (Grantee under the act tf March 3, 188e, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates to portable darkrooms 5 the equipment for completely processing photowhich contains all the equipment necessary for' graphic materials, one end of the case serving as completely fpIOCeSSng photographic materials a .base and the other end serving as a work table, and which may be compacted into a single kit work table extensions carried by fthe case and Heretofore photographic darkroom equipment 1o he work table area, one extension being in the photographic darkroom equipment-f; were for some will become apparent by reference to the ydetailed amage to each separate piece of equipment and and a portion of the canopy being broken awa requires consideiable time an space in packing o illustrate the connecting means between the into any transporting vehicle. y canopy and the case.

he present invention is intended :to overcome Fig. 3 shows an enlarged cutaway view of the these disadvantages and to reduce the probability 30 fastening means .between the tent or canopy of damage to the equipment by producing a single structure andthe case, and;

kit in which all the equipment for complete proc'- F'ig. 4 shows :the kit in its closed condition. essing of photographic materials can be carried he illustrated embodiment of the invention rom one place to yanother as a unit particularly referring to Fig. l, comprises a kit may be stored in a single case but may be set up metal. The case 5 has a solid supporting base 5a to form la work table and cabinet for the comand a top 5b. The opposite sides of the case are a'ble tent or canopy to form a darkroom and the one side `wall yof the case 5, is hinged at 1a .to a tent or can-opy structure being stabilized .by meside member of the case 5. The case 5 is placed case.

chanical connection to the in a vertical position for darkroom operation t is another oblect of the invention to provide thereby eliminating the necessity f legs. a poitable darkroom for complete processing of 5 d assembly 8, h is preferably of the .the sides of the case to increase the work table 50 stops .V9 rand when in such position the compartpartment therein and serving as a cabinet when doors l0. The compartment 8a may fbe used for in the operative position and a tent or canopy stowing printing paper which provides adequate carried by the case adaptable to be erected over protection for the paper as Well yas convenience .to the case to form a darkroom land being `mechani- 55 the photographer.

a rear compartment i5, by a partitioning wall i6. The front compartment i4 holds trays l1 for developing chemicals while the rear compartment l5 is used as a print washer. The water supply and drainage may be transmitted to Aandfrom the sink assembly by means of rubber tubing, or similar tubing (not shown). Thesinkassembly has a lid (not shown in Fig. 1 in order to reveal the sink construction) that'may be used-as -a l splash board while developing film, or laced over snugly fit .into the case `5 when it is desir-able `to putv thekit in condition for carrying or shipping. A platen assembly 2l is supported in the top 5b ofl the'case 5. The platen assembly 2i has a bal- Vprinting paper. This permits the viewing of the IBD on when the lid 2lb is compressed against the glass-plate and to `automatically turn the light sourceiai off 'when the 'lid 2lb is raised,.as is well known in theart. .The .platen assembly 2l is protected by the lid 8 when the kit is closed vup for transportation.

Y'Aprojector assembly,'generally represented by 22, is set in the mounting .board 23 within the case5. Thelmounting board 23 is shown resting on the positioning strip 23a-bums adapted to be placed on .the positioning strips 23D or 23C as it is desirable Yto obtain different diameter enlarge- `ments of the developed'picture. Other well known means for positioning the projector assembly may tbe used as for example, a guide and track means between the projector assembly and the case. The projector assembly- 22 may be removed from the prints. A quick focusing adjustment for properly focusing the negative in relation to the lens is provided. This maybe done by either moving the negative film-holder or moving the lens cell but isfillustrated in this instance as av movable film holder 24 and a stationary lens cell 25. Quick focusing Ais accomplished by means of a lever26 pivotally mou ted'on the mounting board 23 with links 21 connectingr kthe lever 2G and the nlm holder' 2K1. When the f-ree end of the lever 2G lis raised or lowered the Anegative film holder 24 will correspondingly -be raisedor loweredl with respect to the lens cell 25. A detent strip28 is attached to the mounting board 23 and' -israrrangediwi-thdetented positions in cooperable relation with the free end of the lever 26. As illustrated, there are three such positions on the detent strip corresponding to the three positioning strips 23a.,

and 23o to permit corresponding settings of the nlm holder and mounting board for two, three orl four diameter enlargements. That is, for two diameter enlargements the mounting board 3 `should be placed on the positioning strip 23C and the free end of the lever should be placed in the Auppermost detent on the detent strip 28; for three diameter enlargements the mounting board 23 should be placed on positioning strip 23h and the free end of the lever 25 should be placed in the intermediate detent of the detent strip 28'; and similar adjustments should be made for four diameter enlargements, such setting being shown in Fig.. 1.

An illuminating assembly, generally represented by 29, consists of an incandescent frosted bulb`3llrmounted on an adjustable stand 3l to vpermit the bulbf30= to be placed in any desirable yposition` relative to the negative in the negative film holder 2li This bulb 33 provides a light source for both contact and .projection printing. The electrical power for supplying the bulb 30 may bev from house current, portable generator equipment, or batteries as desirable or as necessity requires. The illuminating assembly 23 restson the base vmember 5a of the case 5 and maybe quickly disassembled for packing.

In order to process photographic film it is essential to work in complete darkness. As best shown in Fig. 2, a collapsible tent or canopy is provided which consists of a-light impervious fabric 32 placed over acollapsible framework 33. The framework 33 may be constructed of wood, metal, or any-other desirablematerial having the frame members splice joined as at 33a. for being collapsed -into a small -bundle .and consists of two such collapsible upright members at each end held-in the upright position by collapsible cross he frame members may be collapsed `in other ways as by telescopic or pivotal joints. To stabilize the tent or canopy structure detachable connections, generally referred -to as 34, are usedbetween the upright end members of the framework 33 and the case 5 through the -agency of the sink assembly ll and the accessory compartment I8. The detachable partment and the framework 33 but for the purpose of illustration the detachable connection 34 isshown in Fig. 3 as it is used connecting the laccessory compartment I8 with the frame- Work-33.

The d tachable connection consists of an angle `bracket35 permanently attached to a member of the case as the accessory compartment ls and a rod-3(5, preferably of U-shaped configuration,

having one leg portion inserted in an opening 31 in the outstanding end of the bracket 35 and the other leg portion in an opening 38 of an outstand- -ing end of an angle bracket 3S. bracket 39'is held to the framework 33 by a thumb `riutand bolt meansI 4l which at the same time lmay hold the splice joint 33a of the upright frame members. Todisconnect the framework 33 from the case-5 `it is merely necessary to remove the U-shaped members -36 from the angle bracket vThe fabric material 32 has-anoverlapping slit 12 therein to permit easyaccess to the darkroom.

The-bottom edgel 43 isweighted to assure f a light 2,484,048 tight contact with the supporting surface e terior of said case accessible, the interior of said a ric may be rolled or folded for packing 1n the case sides having protruding means lying in case parallel planes between the base and said cabi- When the tent or canopy, sink assembly and net work table to support the enlarging mechaaccessory compartment are all packed within 5 nism at various heights; a cabinet compartment he case 5 and the door 7 and lid 8 closed, there detachably connected on each of the opposite is obtained a compact kit which is easily hansides or said case adjacent said door by hooks dled for transportation. It has been found that overhanging said other end forming said cabi- It is to be understood that various changes in sioned to fit within said case between said proconstruction and arrangement of parts may be truding means along with said enlarging mechmade without departing from the spirit and anism when said cabinet compartments are ims.

scope ol the appended cla stowed in said case, brackets n he outermost Wha a m a new and desire to secure d coiners of said cabinet compartments, a canopy as Letters Patent' N of light impervious fabric ericlosi g said ca the case rests, the other end of said case hav ne compari: ents an said vertical supports of ing a lid compaitmeiit liingedly openabie to said framework for stabilization oi the portable ioim a cabinet wolk table with the d coinoart darkroom, t e cabinet compartm nt pon ben-ient impcsitively held in an upright open posi- 29 ing detached from the case and framework, the ion and one side of said case opposite the hinge ramework upon being collapsed and he canopy ol said lid coinnai tinent being hingen to form a upon being folded a d s owed within the ca oor roi accessibility to the interior o1 said case, with the cabinet c partments supported be he two sides and beck of e case inteiior havtween said protr din means and t e l1 com each of t e opposite sides of said case adjacent room location. `aid door by hooks o ihanging said other en BARRON C. POWERS. forming said cabinet work table to hold the top WILLIAM H. RICHARDS. surface of said cabinet compartments in the 111) same plane as the top surface of said work table REFERENCES CITED to form work table extensions, one cabinet com` The @Howl-ng references are of record in the partm t being in the form of a sink and the fue of this patent: other cabinet compartment providing stowage for accessorie t e cabinet compartments be- ,15 UNITED STATES PATENTS ing exteriorly dimensioned to nt between said Number Name Date spaced ledges within said case whereby, upon 131,629 B11-ce 111111291876 detachment of said cabinet compartments and 1,994,091 Shwartz Mar. 121 1935 siidably positioning them between said ledges 2,003,190 Hinenne May 28, 1935 and 1110011 the door and lid Compartment beine 5c 2,411,704 Beattie et ai Nov. 26, 1946 osed, a oinpact poitable photogiaphic kit is provided, FOREIGN PATENTS 2. A portable darkroom for the complete neld processing of photographic material comprising; Nurg, Country Date a rectangular case housing a developing, printing 5 5 4978 malyt`""- Mayz and enlarging mechanism, one end of said case 8941 A eta n am an' constituting a se on which the case rests, the 342438 FHS ma Aug' 25 1902 other end of said case having a lid compartment 352243 France July 6 1904 hingedly openable to form a cabinet work table 735963 France -r May 26 1905 with the lid compartment impositively held in 1;0 rance Apr 26 1932 an upright open positio nd one side of said OTHER REFERENCES case opposite the hinge of said lid compartment Popmar photographys December 1938, page 77 being hinged to form a door rendering the in- 115011 Quarter Century in Photography,"

published by Edward L. Wilson, New York, 1887. 

